Man With Samurai Sword Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs

Two Indiana State Police troopers had their hands full when responding to a call on I-65 in Lake County.

Around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, ISP Trooper Ricky Rayner responded to a call of a shirtless man running on the Interstate with a sword.

When he arrived on the scene, he discovered a Toyota abandoned in the middle southbound lane of I-65 south of 61st Avenue in Merrillville. He spotted a black male wearing plaid knee-length shorts and slip-on shoes marching down the shoulder with a samurai sword approximately three feet long.

According to police, the man was marching “like a drum major”, moving the sword in rhythm with his march. As Trooper Rick Hudson approached, the man swung the sword defensively but dropped it when police ordered him to do so.

Merrillville Police also responded to the scene. When their patrol car stopped at the scene, a motorist had to swerve to avoid hitting them and stopped on the inside shoulder. The man then tried to get inside the 2010 Chevrolet SUV until police ordered him to the ground at gunpoint and handcuffed him.

The man reportedly gave police conflicting names and addresses and they say he appears to be in his mid- to late 40s. When taken to the Lake County Jail he apparently refused to provide his identity but did state that he was “Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs“.

While police have not yet verified his identity, they have charged him with attempted carjacking, resisting law enforcement, and possession of marijuana.

NOTE: I’m not making this up. This is from information provided by the Indiana State Police.

UPDATE: The man was later identified as Bryon Womack, 43, of Cicero, Illinois. He remains incarcerated in the Lake County Jail.